Houston, Texas
The University of Texas School of Dentistry
The HOUSTON Fill
06/ ISSUE
06/ MONTH
14/ YEAR
Recipient, Meskin Journalism Award for Excellence in Dental Student Publications. Presented by the American Association of Dental Editors, October 2013.
UT HOUSTON President | Graham Reed ‘16 President elect | Andrew Naegar ‘17 Immediate Past President | Katie Sowa ‘15 Class Delegate | Andrew Naeger ‘17 Treasurer | Hunter Owen ‘15 Historian | Hieu Pham ‘17 Outreach Coordinator | Kelsey Edmonson ’15, Shivani Patel ’16, & Clara Yoo ‘17 Legislative Liason | Kyle Hale ’16 & Glennis Katzmark ‘17 Events/Meetings Coordinator | Andrew Smith ’15, Marisa McKee ’16, & Mary Becker ‘17 Pre-Dental Coordinator | Iliana Saavered ’15, Paola Salazar ’16, Chris Thorburn ’16, & Alex Edgerly ‘17 Publications Editor | Laura Nelson ’16, Macey Cartrite ’16, & Michelle Boecker ‘17 Website Manager | Andrew Nguyen ’15 & Matthew Franzen ‘17 Leadership Development Chair| Ryan Hyde ‘17
ASDA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President | Kristopher Mendoza, Los Angeles ‘15 Vice-presidents | Daryn Lu, Oklahoma ’15; Jason Watts, ova Southeastern ‘15 District 9 Trustee | Christopher Thorburn ‘16
All views in this newsletter are those of the authors and not necessarily of the American Student Dental Association or The University of Texas School of Dentistry.
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CONTENTS 04/ DDS WIKI 05/ the aca and dentistry
11/ last words from 4th years 12/ summer travel
06/ update on advocacy 08/ picture recap 10/ Flouridation
Welcome/ Welcome to another issue of the Houston Fill. Over the past year our chapter has grown by leaps and bounds. With the help of our leadership, we have held yet another successful vendor fair, sent 18 students to ASDA Annual Session at Disneyland to catch ASDA Fever, instituted a new ASDA Points system to help send more members to national meetings, and held our first ever Explore UTSD pre-dental day where students around the state came to UTSD to learn about our school and gain hands on experience in preclinical activities. We hope to continue these strides in the coming months by holding our first ever Interview Day on June 7th, where students that have already applied to UTSD will be able to attend a half day seminar to help them improve their interview skills and receive interview tips from our students. We are also hoping to allow students that attended Explore UTSD to apply for funding to attend our National Leadership Conference in Chicago this coming fall. Council on Membership, Council on Communications, and Council on Professional Issues. In four years our chapter has gone from one to four national leaders. This is a great accomplishment that will surely help give our chapter a national voice to lead us into the future. I look forward to working with all of you over the next year, and if you have any questions or comments in regards to our ASDA chapter please don’t hesitate to ask.
Graham Reed’16
04/ DDS WIKI: How it can help you succeed in school
Art by| KATHERINE KIN, ‘16
GREGORY LUK | MICHAEL RASMUSSEN, ‘16
Jumping into clinic isn’t like dipping your toe into a bathtub; it’s more like jumping into a deep, shark-infested ocean. Not only are you confronted with real patients and real dentistry for the first time, but you also have to face a multitude of rules, regulations, and atrocious computer software these are the sharks! Now we have a lifeboat in the form of DDS Wiki. Student-created and student-run, DDS Wiki is on its way to being a comprehensive roadmap to clinic. With customized videos, checklists, and tips to guide you through everything from scheduling to SRP, DDS Wiki will be the first stop when any student has a question on how to proceed in patient care.
So far, DDS Wiki has grown as a Blackboard pilot program for the Class of 2016, but we are hoping to open this resource to all UTSD classes in the fall. To achieve this goal, we need your help! If you are interested in generating content, have an awesome tip on impressions, or could donate some time to editing (we’re talking to you 4th years), please contact Gregory Luk, Michael Rasmussen, or Max Quintanilla. If you have any more questions about clinic procedures, do not forget to read the Clinical Manual 2013-2014.
05/ 01/ It is 2014 and the inaugural year of the Affordable Care Act implementation. Curious if dentistry has etched (primed and bonded) its way into ACA? I can tell you, it has. The watchword in regards to our field is “prevention”—detailed in the 21 oral health provisions of ACA. Tied closely with prevention, we may see pediatric dentistry and Medicaid bearing the brunt of the dental changes. Although detailed, the bill is surprisingly digestible. However, if you’ve avoided the daunting task of reading the ACA, you may have a few questions. Let me decode those for you here:
4 WAYS THE ACA WILL (AND WILL NOT) IMPACT DENTISTRY
1. Is it t rue that all pediatric patients are required to carry some form of dental coverage? Not completely. The essential health benefits (EHB) are required to include dental benefits for those under 19. However, parents are not required to purchase dental plans under a new ruling. It is projected that by 2018 an estimated 8.7 million children will have gained dental coverage. Keep in mind that there may be more changes to this ruling in the future. 2. Medicaid is expanding its coverage to 138% of the Federal Poverty Line, is my state expanding coverage? It depends on your state. Twenty-five states (plus the District of Columbia) have chosen to expand Medicaid coverage. Check out this map to see your state’s most recent decision: Where the States Stand on Medicaid Expansion. 3. The ACA is projected to increase Medicaid dental visits by 10.4 million visits per year by 2018,will there be a subsequent increase in reimbursement rates for dental procedures? No, there is no increase in dental Medicaid reimbursement rates under the ACA. A “Medicaid Parity” provision is included for family medicine, general internal medicine, pediatric medicine and certain subspecialists. The specific specialties and subspecialties of medicine can expect to see an increase of approximately 73 percent of their reimbursement rates for Medicaid. 4. Will the Medical Device Tax be implemented in Dentistry? Yes. Dental devices are taxed by the Medical Device Tax. The Medical Device Tax is anticipated to financially support the Affordable Care Act. Some have expressed concern of a “trickle down effect” making its way to the provider and patient as the manufacturers increase prices to offset the tax. ASDA opposes this tax and invites dental students to use Engage to encourage their lawmakers to repeal the tax. 01/Patdollard.com
Source of article is from ASDA’s “Mouthing Off” Janurary 24, 2014 Written by: Courtney Worlinsky, Florida
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06/ Update on Advocacy Glennis Katzmark ‘17
It was a beautiful bright day in Washington D.C. on April 8, 2014. The sun was shining, the cherry blossoms were blooming, and more than 250 dental students were knocking on their congressmen’s door. These students took a day away from turbulent testing schedules, and clinics to advocate for issues that will shape their future. As we all know, dental students are not your ordinary citizens. Dental students are smart, passionate, and very aware of current events. This combination of traits empowered students from across the country to stand up and allowed their voices to be heard on Capitol Hill. I have been very proud to be a part of this profession, but being able to stand along side these future doctors has only entrenched me in my belief that dentistry is the best profession in the world. The belief that dentistry is an honor and privilege to be a part of is the very reason that students must take time to protect it. Today dental students are facing serious obstacles including ever increasing levels of debt, the potential implementation of midlevel providers, and barriers to care just to name a few. ASDA members lobbied for three pieces of legislation that could benefit the careers of every dental student in the country. 1) Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act 2) Student Loan Interest Deduction Act of 2013 3) Coordination of Pro Bono Medically Recommended Dental Care Act If you happen to enjoy the benefit of hearing, you have also lamented having to hear about increasing debt. Students have seen the national average for debt after graduation increase to over $221,000, which is a 66% increase in the last decade. ASDA has identified student debt as the number one concern for dental students. This level of debt may deter a new dentist from opening a practice in a rural area or could prevent the pursuit of a specialty.  Continued on page 7
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The Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act would function to lower the interest rate cap to 4.0%. This is a large decrease from the 6.0% rate that is in place now. This bill is also retroactive, which would impact loans that have already been taken out from as early as 2006. Additionally, the Student Loan Interest Deduction Act of 2013 would allow students to gain a tax deduction of $5000 when they begin to pay off their loans. This is actually a large deviation from today’s law. Currently, if a person makes more then $75,000 annually they may not use a deduction for money spent on student loan. ASDA seeks to change that. Few people are aware that dental school education is the most expensive professional school education. It is more expensive than law school, or medical school.
Finally, the Coordination of ProBono Medically Recommended Dental Care Act provides an avenue to oral care to those who need it most. Many are not aware that Medicare does not cover oral health even if potential infection can worsen their condition. This bill is a grant that would allow social workers to get medically compromised patients into a dental chair. Dentistry would be provided for free to the patient on behalf of the participating dentist. The grant costs only $2 million and would save $13 million in healthcare costs. I know what you are thinking. Who do I think I am, troubling you with concerns of the future, as if the burdens of today weren’t heavy enough? Please consider, that all of your hard work today is for the promise of an uncompromised profession. I posit that to maintain the integrity of the profession is not a burden, but an honor. I would charge every dental student to take responsibility for dentistry. Dentistry will not enter our lives tomorrow. It is here today. Be a beacon for this profession. Be able to talk about these issues, and advocate their importance because they are important. If my trip to Washington D.C. was any indication of our future, dentistry is in very good hands.
Are you interested in dental advocacy? Visit ASDA’s Engage page to take action! www.cqrcengage.com/asda/home
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National D ental Student Lobby Day
floss
08/ Dental Olympics
ASDA Family Pic nic
Pre-Dental Day
First Annual Predental Interview Preparation Day
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WHY DENTISTS ARE LOSING THE WAR ON FLOURIDE As all dentists know, water fluoridation was named "one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century” by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ADA states, “Community water fluoridation is the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay.” Even despite these statements, the city council of Dallas, TX voted May 2014 to end the nearly 50 year long addition of fluoride to the public water system. What was their argument? The city would save $1 million per year. This decision may seem drastic to many dental professionals. In fact, U.S. cities have been adding fluoride to water supplies since the policy passed in 1950. Yet people now argue that fluoride is a toxin and citizens should not be forced to have such things added to their community water system. A Facebook page, “Fluoride Free Dallas Texas”, posts comments about how the ion is related to ADHD, lower IQs in children, and even cancer. Yet are their sources scientifically based? Jacquielynn Floyd of the Dallas Morning News wrote on April 28, 2014 in an online article entitled “Anti-Fluoride cranks at Dallas City Hall: Is something in the water?”, “Well, heck, if it’s about cutting costs, why put chlorine in the water? Why have a public water supply at all? Why not just let people go get it in buckets from lakes and stock tanks and backyard wells?” She makes an interesting argument. I had a patient recently ask me about fluoride safety. I recommended she use a topical fluoride mouth rinse, in consideration of her concerns about systemic ingestion. As a dental student, I feel I need to increase my knowledge so that I can inform my patients about fluoride and their oral health. I wonder if other cities will follow in Dallas’s path. I can only hope that dentists and the ADA will continue to advocate for patient health and the continuation of community “The American Dental Association continues to endorse water fluoridation. fluoridation of community water supplies as safe and effective for preventing tooth decay.” (ADA.org)
LAURA NELSON, ‘16
02/Michelle Boecker
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LAST WORDS FROM THE CLASS OF 2014
PARKER LONG ‘14 “Dental school has been the best time of my life. Sure it comes with plenty of hard times, but it has also come with plenty of great times that I would never trade. Anything in life that is worth doing is not going to be easy; dental school is one of those things. Don't ever let the difficulty of dental school get you down. One of our teachers told me my first year: "the only time you should be worried about school is when you are not improving". Keep that in mind as you move forward in dental school. You have a lot to look forward to so keep up the hard work; it will pay off!”
MICHELLE GAONA ‘14 “In dentistry as in life, don't sweat the small stuff and keep the big picture in mind. Work really hard, have a lot of fun and get excited about what you can do as a dentist because this is the best profession there is!”
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ELIZABETH HEATH ‘14
KHUSHBU PATEL ‘14
“ To upcoming DS4s, finish up your removable prosth requirements in fall and fixed ASAP after that. Don't forget to have fun! To upcoming DS3s, this is the most fun and relaxing year…. cherish it! To upcoming DS2s, this is your last chance to raise your grades…work for it! “
“Four years in dental school flies by quickly. Being prepared and knowing what you need to do to succeed can help make your life in dental school a little easier. Here are some quick tips to ensure a positive experience: - Start lining up all your clinic requirements early, especially those time consuming removable cases! If you are lacking something, be sure to let your PCC know (and be persistent!). - Get to know the younger classes. They can help be your assistants for WREB, hand you requirements that are beyond their skill level, and you will improve your skills just by helping them out. - It’s better to have a few good patients, rather than tons of unreliable ones. It’s a privilege to be a patient at the dental school. If the patient is not invested in helping you succeed, the dental school may not be the right place for them. - Get to know the faculty. They want you to succeed and they’ve been in your shoes. Find a mentor to help guide you and bounce ideas off of. - Don’t forget to have fun! Get involved in school organizations, community activities, and make time for your friends. Taking a break from school every once in a while can help lower your stress and make you more productive when it’s time to work.” 03/everythinggraduation.com
Go on an Adventure This Summer. Houston has continuously been accredited as one of the top cities in the U.S. for diverse and unique restaurants. You can travel half way around the world in one day based on your food choices.
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Traveling to Italy for lunch? Try Paulies Restaurant off of Westheimer Rd located in the Montrose area. Reasonable prices and a great lunch spot. 04/
Wanted to always visit Thailand? Thai Gourmet is the place to be for dinner. Great ambience and even greater food. Visit Kate and William at the local Queen Vic Pub and Kitchen and pick up some Shepard’s pie.
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Eat at Etoile and you’ll swear you’re in France gazing at the Eifel tower.
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04/Freshink.com 05/ blog.travefy.com 06/blamethemonkey.com
The UT School of Dentistry 7500 Cambridge St. Houston, TX 77054